n. 


AN 


ADDRESS 


ON  THE 


ORIGIN  AND  EVIL  INFLUENCES 


OF 


MONEY. 


By  EDWARD  PALMER: 

Who  has  nothing  to  do  with  Money  ;  being  convinced  that  it  is  an 
engine  of  oppression,  and  an  anti-Christian  institution. 


BOSTON : 

PUBLISHED  AT  25  CORNHILL. 

1839. 


V* 


3  o  o'  *-  l  \fc- 1  M  &  Vwght 


I 


3  3 
T5  \  %■  3 


svj  l 


MAR 


ADDRESS. 


It  is  not  essential  that  we  ascertain  and  de¬ 
fine  the  precise  period  of  the  world  when  money 
was  first  instituted.  It  is  sufficient  for  us  to 
know — as  we  certainly  do  know — that  it  had  its 
origin  in  human  selfishness  and  infidelity.  It  is 
one  of  those  noxious  plants  which  our  heavenly 
Father  hath  not  planted;  and  which  Christiani¬ 
ty,  in  its  onward  progress  in  regenerating  the 
world,  is  designed  to  eradicate  and  remove. 

It  will  undoubtedly  be  said  by  some,  that  the 
idea  of  banishing  money  is  altogether  utopian 
and  visionary  ;  as  such  an  institution  has  exist¬ 
ed,  in  some  form  or  other,  ever  since  human 
society  was  first  organized,  or  mankind  in  any 
degree  civilized  ;  and  therefore  it  always  will 
exist,  unless  the  world  relapses  into  barbarism. 
The  same  persons  would  probably  consider  the 
New  Testament  quite  utopian — its  fundamental 
principles  altogether  impracticable.  For  it 
might  with  equal  propriety  be  said  that  because 
war  and  slavery  have  so  long  existed,  therefore 
they  always  w  ill  exist.  Christianity — the  spirit 


i 


4 


< 


of  truth — is  designed  to  do  away  with  all  such 
selfish  and  unrighteous  institutions.  And  where  \ 
ever  it  shall  prevail,  in  its  purity  and  power,  it 
will  inevitably  overthrow,  supercede  and  re¬ 
move  every  thing  that  is  inconsistent  with  its 
holy  and  benevolent  spirit.  It  can  easily  be 
shown  that  money ,  war ,  and  slavery ,  are  equally 
hostile  to  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  and  equally 
adverse  to  the  true  interests  of  the  human  fami¬ 
ly.  They  each  originated  in  the  same  source, 
and  are  so  identified  together  that  neither  can 
long  exist  without  the  other.  Indeed,  money 
may  be  considered  the  foundation  and  base  up¬ 
on  which  the  others  rest ;  or  the  baneful  Tree,  of 
which  these  are  but  a  part  of  the  bitter  fruits. 

But,  it  may  be  asked,  if  Christianity  is  de¬ 
signed  to  effect  so  radical  a  revolution  in  the  v 
world,  why  did  not  Jesus  Christ  declare  it 
plainly  and  explicitly.  He  certainly  did  declare 
it, as  plainly  and  explicitly  as  was  at  that  time  ne¬ 
cessary.  The  principles  which  he  inculcated  ob¬ 
viously  strike  at  the  foundation  of  all  injustice 
and  inequality  ;  and  will,  as  certainly  as  they 
advance  and  prevail,  lead  to  the  entire  abolition 
of  all  institutions  which  are  partial  or  exclusive, 
or  in  any  way  inconsistent  with  the  true  spirit 
of  liberty  and  philanthropy.  So  far  as  the  ex- 

i 


5 


ample  of  Jesus  goes  to  prove  any  thing  on  the 
subject — and  it  certainly  should  be  regarded  as 
the  best  of  evidence — we  know  that  he  chose 
rather  to  suffer  wrong  to  the  uttermost  than  to 
do  wrong  in  the  least.  He  was  more  ready  to 
serve  others  than  to  be  served.  And  so  far  from 
l)eing  disposed  to  avail  himself  of  the  advan¬ 
tages  which  money  confer,  he  was  willing  rather 
to  be  without  a  place  to  lay  his  head.  The 
principles  which  he  taught  and  exemplified  are 
the  broad  principles  of  equality  and  universal 
benevolence.  The  standard  which  he  set  up 
was  no  other  than  this :  ‘  Thou  shalt  love 

THY  NEIGHBOR  AS  THYSELF.’  ‘  All  THINGS 
WHATSOEVER  YE  WOULD  THAT  MEN  SHOULD  DO 
UNTO  YOU  DO  YE  EVEN  SO  UNTO  THEM.  For  this 

is  the  law  and  the  prophets.’  In  other  words, 
this  is  the  sum  and  substance  of  all  God’s  re¬ 
quirements  ;  and  the  fulfilling  and  accomplish¬ 
ment  of  those  cheering  predictions  which  have 
been  uttered  in  all  past  ages. 

The  Jewish  religion,  which  was  but  partial  and 
temporary,  recognized  and  tolerated  the  selfish¬ 
ness  of  man.  And  it  is  Judaism  which  now  pre¬ 
vails  among  us,  under  the  Christian  name.  But 
Christianity,  when  really  known  and  under¬ 
stood,  repudiates  every  thing  of  a  selfish,  hire- 
1  * 


6 


ling’,  or  mercenary  character,  and  enjoins  the 
practical  exercise  of  full  and  perfect  love  to  all. 
A  principle  which  is  designed  to  produce  as 
complete  a  reciprocity  of  duties  and  kind  offices 
in  the  whole  great  family  of  man,  as  is  now 
manifested  in  the  most  affectionate  individual 

'  '  ♦  i 

family  upon  earth.  Thus  to  bring  them  into 
the  enjoyment  of  true  liberty,  and  to  carry  them 
forward  in  the  prosecution  of  every  noble  enter¬ 
prise  and  in  every  work  of  improvement,  as  the 
selfish  principle  never  has  done  and  never  could 
do. 

4 

It  is  the  merciful  purpose  of  God,  through  the 
moral  power  and  holy  influences  of  truth  and 
love,  entirely  to  redeem  the  human  family  from 
selfishness  and  sin  ;  to  emancipate  them  from 
every  kind  and  degree  of  bondage  ;  to  bring 
them  into  that  state  or  condition  which  is  most 
desirable  for  them  to  enjoy,  and  which  is  most 
favorable  to  their  real  and  everlasting  improve¬ 
ment.  And  as  this  is  to  be  accomplished  by 
moral  means,  through  human  instrumentality, 
and  in  the  exercise  of  man’s  moral  agency,  it 
becomes  our  duty — as  we  find  ourselves  hinder¬ 
ed  by  adverse  influences,  and  surrounded  by  so¬ 
cial  institutions  which  have  come  down  to  us 
from  ruder  and  more  benighted  ages — to  inves- 


tigate  thoroughly  the  nature  and  character  of 
these  institutions;  and  to  change  or  abolish 
them,  as  may  be  found  necessary  to  the  true  in¬ 
terest  and  real  good  of  mankind. 

As  moral  and  social  beings,  we  are  under  the 
highest  obligations  to  God  and  each  other  to  be 
earnestly  inquiring  after  and  faithfully  following 
that  course  by  which  we  may  be  most  instru¬ 
mental  in  bringing  about  and  establishing  such  a 
state  of  society  as  will  be  most  conduciv  e  to  tbe 
physical,  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual  im 
provement  of  our  race.  It  is  proper,  therefore, 
for  us  to  inquire  and  determine  for  ourselves 
what  state  of  society  would  really  be  most  favor- 
ble  to  this  great  purpose.  And  any  and  every 
institution  which  hinders  mankind  from  coming 
into  such  a  state,  and  thus  stands  in  the  way  of 
human  improvement  and  human  happiness,  we 
are  certainly  bound  to  abandon  and  use  our  in¬ 
fluence  to  have  abolished. 

What  then  would  be  the  best  and  most  profit¬ 
able  state  of  society  for  mankind  to  enjoy  1  As 
the  human  family  is  one  family,  all  having  in  re¬ 
ality  one  interest,  and  all  created  for  the  same 
glorious  end  ;  and  as  they  each  and  all  need 
each  others  sympathy  and  co-operation,  it  is 
certainly  desirable  and  essentially  necessary  to 


8 


their  real  and  lasting  good,  that  they  come  into 
a  state  or  condition  in  which  the  equal  rights 
and  privileges  of  all  shall  be  fully  realized  and 
secured.  Asocial  state  or  condition  in  which  the 
broad  and  liberal  principles  of  justice,  equality 
and  benevolence,  shall  not  only  be  acknowledged, 
but  fully  and  legitimately  carried  out.  A  state  of 
society  in  which  there  shall  be  none  enslaved  to 
perpetual  bodily  toil,  and  none  wasting  their  time 
in  idleness  and  sloth.  None  destitute  of  the  tem¬ 
poral  comforts  of  life,  and  none  overburdened 
with  the  care  of  too  extensive  possessions.  A 
state  in  which  each  individual  family  may  quiet¬ 
ly  possess  their  own  dwelling,  and  as  much  land 
as  they  can  improve  consistently  with  their  own 
comfort  and  happiness,  and  the*  comfort  and 
happiness  of  all  around  them,  and  each  and  all 
be  equally  read}'  to  impart  to  others,  and  each 
and  all  aiming  to  render  themselves  useful  by 
sharing  the  toils  and  burdens  of  the  commu¬ 
nity  in  which  they  live. 

Indeed,  in  such  a  state  of  society  there  would 
be  no  burdens  to  be  borne.  For  if  the  labors  of 
the  field  and  the  workshop — the  various  kinds  of 
manual  labor  which  is  now  performed  by  a  part, 
was  shared  among  all  who  are  able  to  partici¬ 
pate,  there  would  be  no  more  for  each  to  per-* 


9 

form  than  what  would  he  conducive  to  the  health 
and  happiness  of  each. 

It  is  said  to  have  been  carefully  computed  and 
ascertained  that  if  the  manual  labor  which  is 
now  performed  by  apart,  was  equally  shared  by 
all  who  are  able  to  share  in  it ,  four  hours  actual 
labor  in  each  day,  is  the  extent  which  each  indi¬ 
vidual  would  be  required  to  perform.  And  as 
much  bodily  exercise  as  this  is  really  necessary 
to  every  man’s  health  and  happiness.  There  is 
no  one  but  would  be  better  fitted  for  study — bet¬ 
ter  fitted  for  moral  and  intellectual  improve¬ 
ment — by  taking  as  much  exercise  as  he  would 
find  in  laboring  four  hours  of  every  twenty-four, 
with  his  hands.  And  there  is  little  or  no  doubt 
that  every  man  is  really  injured,  as  a  moral,  iiv- 
tellectual  and  spiritual  being,  by  taking  more. 
He  is  in  a  great  measure  unfitted  for  the 
proper  development  and  cultivation  of  his  high¬ 
er  nature. 

In  such  a  state  of  societv  as  has  been  here 

•/ 

briefly  suggested,  the  development  and  cultiva¬ 
tion  of  man’s  whole  nature,  which  is  the  true 
object  of  life,  might  and  would  be  advantageous¬ 
ly  pursued,  instead  of  the  grovelling  pursuits 
which  now  engross  the  minds  and  hearts  and 
efforts  of  men  ;  and  which  tend  continually  to 


10 


l 


degrade  and  debase,  instead  of  elevate  and  ad¬ 
vance  them.  Such  a  state  of  society  as  this,  in  <  t. 
which  men  may  enjoy  each  others  confidence 
and  sympathy,  and  mutually  aid  and  encourage 
each  other  in  every  kind  of  improvement,  is  what 
God  designs,  and  all  really  good  men  desire  to 
have  established.  But  money ,  as  may  easily  he 
shown,  is  an  invention  of  man  which  tends  di¬ 
rectly  to  subvert  this  benevolent  purpose  of  God, 
and  to  prevent  the  introduction  and  establishment 
of  that  social  state  which  is  so  desirable  and  ne¬ 
cessary  to  man’s  real  and  everlasting  improve-  1 
merit. 

It  will  probably  be  said  that  it  is  only  the  * 
‘Zone  of  money,’ which  is  the ‘root  of  all  evil.’  But  1 
if  the  love  of  an  institution  is  fraught  with  so 
much  wickedness,  what  must  the  institution  it-" 
self  be?  There  is  no  impropriety  or  sin  in  our 
entertaining  a  regard  for  what  is  really  good, 
and  profitable  for  us  to  have.  There  is  nothing 
sinful  or  improper  in  our  desiring  a  competent 
supply  of  our  natural  and  real  wants.  And  if  mo¬ 
ney  was  a  truly  moral  and  righteous  means  by 
which  to  attain  this  end,  there  could  be  no  evil  in 
our  entertaining  a  regard  for  it.  But  money  is 
not  the  true  and  proper  means  for  the  attainment 
of  this  purpose.  It  is  a  partial  and  exclusive 


11 


institution.  Besides  being*  a  means  of  acquiring 
v  improper  indulgence,  it  confers  undue  advan¬ 
tage  and  power.  The  love  of  money  is  wrong, 
because  it  is  the  love  of  an  institution  which  in- 
variably  leads  to  improper  indulgence.  It  is  the 
love  ot  indulgence,  the  love  of  advantage,  the 
love  of  power.  And  an  institution  which  leads 
to  such  indulgence,  and  which  confers  such  ad¬ 
vantage  and  such  power,  is  an  unrighteous  and 
n  wicked  institution.  There  is  something  mor¬ 
ally  wrong  at  the  foundation  and  in  the  very  n a-* 
tuie  of  it.  The  truth  is  that  it  is  not,  as  most 
persons  suppose,  a  perverted,  but  a  perverting 
institution  ;  an  engine  of  oppression,  and  a  curse 
to  the  whole  human  family.  If  the  oppression, 
injustice  and  iniquity  which  is  carried  on 
through  its  instrumentality  could  be  seen  and 
fully  understood,  all  who  have  any  real  regard 
for  their  fellow  creatures  would  be  ready  to 
make  some  sacrifice  to  abandon  and  abolish  it. 

1.  Money  is  a  means  by  which  a  large  class  of 
men  escape  from  performing  any  part  of  the  la¬ 
bor  which  must  necessarily  be  performed,  and 
so  spend  their  time  that  is  worse  than  lost  to 
the  community  to  which  they  belong.  It  seems 
to  be  taken  for  granted  that  all  who  have  or  can 
get  money,  however  they  may  acquire  it,  so  that 


12 


they  do  not  subject  themselves  to  the  penalty  of 
human  laws,  have  a  right  to  live  without  doing  '  x 
any  thing  to  make  themselves  useful,  and  with¬ 
out  performing  any  part  of  the  toil  and  labor  by1 
which  the  bread  they  eat,  the  clothes  they  wear, 
and  the  various  other  comforts,  conveniences 
and  luxuries  in  which  they  abound,  are  pro¬ 
duced.  Hence,  as  there  must  be 'so  much  labor 
performed,  the  more  there  are  who  get  money, 
and  thus  escape  from  performing  their  part  of 
it,  the  greater  must  be  the  proportion  of  labor 
for  each  of  those  who  do  perform  it,  and  conse¬ 
quently  the  longer  and  harder  they  must  work. 
Thus  the  institution  of  money  is  continually  and 
inevitably  tending  to  make  the  rich  richer,  and  > 
the  poor  poorer.  And  this  is  more  manifest  in 
all  countries  as  they  become  older  and  more 
densely  settled.  For  those  who  thus  escape  i 
from  performing  their  part  of  the  labor, 
not  only  in  this  way  throw  a  greater  burden  up¬ 
on  those  who  do  perform  it,  but  by  running  into 
various  kinds  of  extravagance  and  excess,  are 
continually  increasing  the  sum  of  that  bodily 
toil,  which  has  already  become  a  grievous  bur¬ 
den,  instead  of  being,  as  it  otherwise  would  be? 
a  source  of  satisfaction  and  a  means  of  improve¬ 
ment  and  happiness. 


* 


2.  Money  makes  selfishness  and  cruelty  pass 
for  virtues.  Most  men  are  so  educated  from 
childhood — by  example,  if  not  by  precept — that 
they  are  naturally  led  to  regard  the  getting  of 
money  as  the  first  great  object  of  life  ;  and  in¬ 
tellectual  and  moral  improvement,  the  cultiva¬ 
tion  of  the  mind  and  heart,  or  affections,  but 
secondary  considerations  ;  to  be  made  subser¬ 
vient  to  the  great  object  of  accumulating  wealth. 
This  too,  not  by  production,  but  by  artificial 
acquisition.  And  as  this  cannot  be  successful¬ 
ly  pursued  without  disregarding  the  best  inter¬ 
ests  of  others — shutting  up  the  bowels  of  com¬ 
passion  and  forbearing  to  give  exercise  to  the 
benevolent  affections — that  selfishness  and  cruel¬ 
ty  which  would  otherwise  be  regarded  as  among 
the  most  odious  and  inexcusable  vices,  comes  to 
be  looked  upon  with  a  degree  of  complacency 
and  favor.  The  very  men  who  would  otherwise 
be  despised  for  their  selfishness  and  want  of  be¬ 
nevolence  and  common  humanity,  are  treated 
with  attention  and  courtesy,  because  they  are 
acquiring  that  which  gives  them  importance  and 
power  and  influence  in  the  world.  Thus  selfish¬ 
ness  and  cruelty  are  made  to  pass  for  virtues, 
while  moral  integrity,  kindness  and  love  are  but 
lightly  esteemed. 

2  . 


14 


3.  Money  produces  and  continually  increases 
selfishness.  As  it  is  only  by  being  selfish  and 
steeling  their  hearts  against  the  holy  influences 
of  benevolence  and  charity  that  men  can  ad¬ 
vance  their  ambitious  and  exclusive  purposes, 
only  by  disregarding  the  real  good  of  their  fel¬ 
low  men,  and  making  others’  necessity  their  op¬ 
portunity,  that  they  can  acquire  that  passport 
to  favor  which  is  almost  universally  acknowl¬ 
edged  in  the  world,  they  are  naturally  led  to 
cherish  and  exercise  those  selfish  feelings  by 
which  their  hearts  are  continually  more  de¬ 
praved  and  hardened.  Selfishness,  thus  exer¬ 
cised  towards  others,  is  continually  producing 
selfishness  in  them,  and  filling  them  with  jeal¬ 
ousy  and  distrust ;  just  as  love  begets  love, 
overcomes  evil,  and  produces  confidence  and 
good  will  in  all  towards  whom  it  is  exercised. 
Selfishness  is  thus  promoted,  increased  and  ex¬ 
tended.  And  the  older  a  community  becomes 
and  the  more  closely  men  are  crowded  togeth¬ 
er,  and  their  imaginary  interests  come  in  con¬ 
tact  and  into  collision  with  each  other,  the  more 
selfish  and  cruel  do  they  become  ;  the  more  re¬ 
gardless  of  each  others’  good  ;  the  more  callous 
to  the  wants  and  sufferings  of  those  around  them  ; 
the  more  ready  to  take  advantage  of  each 


f. 


15 


others’  necessitous  circumstances  ;  until  they  al¬ 
most  or  quite  literally  destroy  one  another. 

4.  Money  creates  and  increases  poverty. 
Those  who  acquire  and  possess  it  feel  and  real¬ 
ize  a  large  degree  of  that  most  despicable  of 
all  poverty — and  indeed  the  only  poverty  which 
is  really  to  be  despised  and  regarded  as  crimi* 
nal — poverty  of  soul.  There  is  no  possibility  of 
satisfying  those  whose  grand  object  is  the  ac¬ 
quirement  of  money.  The  principle  upon 
which  they  set  out  in  the  world  is  to  get  all  they 
can,  and  if  possible,  to  keep  all  they  get.  The 
more  they  acquire  the  greater  is  their  desire  to 
,  acquire  still  more.  It  is  through  the  instrumen¬ 
tality  of  money  that  some  are  enabled  to  get 
possession  of  such  unreasonable  portions  of  what 
t  is  produced  by  the  hard  labor  of  others.  And 
as  large  masses  of  the  things  of  this  world  are 
thus  accumulated  on  the  one  hand,  there  must 
be  real  poverty  and  destitution  on  the  other. 
This  is  seen  and  most  fully  demonstrated  in  the 
large  towns  and  cities.  Here  are  found  the  ex¬ 
tremes  of  worldly  riches  and  poverty  ;  the  an¬ 
tipodes  of  luxury,  extravagance  and  excess  :  and 
real  poverty,  destitution  and  want.  It  follows 
as  a  matter  of  course,  if  some  by  any  artificial 
means,  are  enabled  to  get  into  their  possession 


16 


and  continually  keep  so  much  more  than  they 
really  need,  others  must  lack  and  often  be  desti¬ 
tute  of  the  necessaries  of  life. 

5.  Money  promotes  idleness,  ignorance,  deg¬ 
radation  and  crime.  As  so  many  are  enabled 
through .  its  instrumentality  to  escape  from 
manual  labor,  and  labor  is  thus  rendered  a  ser¬ 
vile  task  and  a  grievous  burden,  instead  of  a 
source  of  satisfaction  and  improvement,  it  be¬ 
comes  the  great  object  and  desire  of  nearly  all 
to  escape  from  it.  It  is  regarded  as  something 
which  is  degrading,  and  incompatible  with  the 
proper  enjoyment  of  life.  And  perpetual  bodily 
toil  is  indeed  and  reality  so  ;  since  it  unfits  man 
for  the  proper  cultivation  and  improvement  of 
his  higher  nature,  and  makes  him  a  mere  ma¬ 
chine,  instead  of  a  moral,  intellectual  and* 
spiritual  being.  Those  who  are  trained  to 
continual  bodily  toil  come  to  have  very  little 
consciousness  of  the  higher  and  nobler  powers 
and  faculties  with  which  their  Creator  has  en¬ 
dowed  them  ;  and  if  they  can  but  escape  from 
bodily  servitude  they  care  for  *little  else  than 
the  indulgence  of  their  animal  desires. 

The  example  of  those  who  have  money,  is 
very  far,  in  its  influence,  from  tending  to  im¬ 
prove  those  around  them.  It  is,  on  the  contra- 


17 


ry,  more  pernicious  than  that  of  those  who  are 
wallowing  in  the  grossest  vices,  and  clothed  in 
„  the  filth  and  rags  which  are  the  usual  badges 
worn  by  such  persons.  For  these  are  as  beacons 
of  warning  to  the  young  and  rising  generation  ; 
while  those  who  by  means  of  money  are  enabled 
to  command  the  attention  and  services  of  others, 
to  appear  in  gay  attire  and  with  splendid  equip¬ 
age,  and  to  induge  in  indolence  and  every  kind 
of  luxury  and  artificial  gratification,  lead  the 
young  to  believe  that  this  is  the  true  way  of  en¬ 
joying  life  ;  the  only  way  of  finding  happiness 
on  earth.  And  many  who  cannot  participate  in 
the  more  refined  indulgences,  seek  gratification 
*  in  those  of  a  grosser  and  more  immediately  de¬ 
basing  character.  Money,  therefore,  has  a  con¬ 
stant  tendency  to  promote  and  perpetuate  ig- 
1  norance  and  degradation.  For  while  those  who 
are  professedly  devoting  themselves  to  the  pur¬ 
suit  of  moral  and  intellectual  improvement,  and 
who  through  the  instrumentality  of  an  institu¬ 
tion  which  confers  its  favors  so  partially,  are 
enabled  to  escape  from  all  manual  labor,  suffer 
for  the  want  of  that  exercise  which  is  necessary 
to  a  full  and  proper  development  of  their  phys¬ 
ical  energies,  and  are  thus  hindered  from  making 
that  progress  which  they  otherwise  might,,  those 
2* 


18 


who  toil  so  continually  as  many  do  to  support 
themselves  and  others — even  though  they  avoid 
the  grosser  excesses  into  which  so  many  are 
running — are  brutified  and  degraded  by  the  very 
excess  of  toil  which  they  endure. 

But  when  we  consider  the  more  direct  and 
positive  moral  evil  of  which  money  is  the  instru¬ 
ment,  nnd  the  actual  commission  of  crime  to 
which  it  leads*  it  is  then  that  we  see  more  clear¬ 
ly  than  ever  that  a  regard  for  it,  a  desire  to  ac¬ 
quire  and  possess  it,  is  indeed  the  root  of  all 
evil.  As  it  is  the  means  of  obtaining  every  indul¬ 
gence,  so  for  its  sake  every  indulgence  is  held 
up  to  tempt  those  w  ho  have  it  to  part  with  it,  and 
those  who  are  without  it,  to  resort  to  any  and  ev¬ 
ery  means  to  acquire  it.  Hence  men  do  not  seek 
to  know  by  what  means  they  may  make  them¬ 
selves  most  useful  in  the  world,  or  do  most  for 
the  moral  advancement  and  true  interests  of 
their  fellow  men,  but  how  they  may  most  easily 
succeed  in  acquiring  money.  Many  are  induced 
to  embark  in  business,  not  only  of  very  ques¬ 
tionable  utility,  but  of  the  most  pernicious  ten¬ 
dency — not  caring  what  injury  they  may  be  in¬ 
flicting  upon  the  souls  or  bodies  of  mankind,  so 
that  they  do  not  wholly  forfeit  their  favor  with 
the  world,  and  do  but  succeed  in  getting  money. 


19 


Others  for  its  sake,  lay  aside  every  semblance 
of  regard  for  men  or  principle,  and  sell  outright 
their  title  to  respect,  by  abandoning  themselves 
to  open  prostitution  ;  while  some  are  led  still  fur¬ 
ther  on  to  the  perpetration  of  robbery  and  mur¬ 
der.  Money  is  thus  literally  the  price  of  blood, 
as  well  as  sighs  and  groans  and  tears.  Every  sin¬ 
gle  piece  that  circulates  in  the  world  has  caused 
and  been  the  instrument  of  crime.  If  the  true 
amount  of  crime  and  wretchedness  and  woe  of 
which  it  has  been  the  instrument  and  cause, 
could  be  distinctly  marked  upon  each  piece,  no 
man  of  any  moral  sensibility  would  touch  it  ; 
but  rather  pray  that  it  might  be  buried,  or  its 
use  abolished. 

6.  Money  is  said  to  be  a  representative  and 
standard  of  value.  13  u  t  it  is  not  so;  for  there  is 
nothing  more  fluctuating.  And  it  is  continually 
causing  changes  in  the  nominal  value  of  everv 
thing  else. — Raising  or  depressing  the  temporal 
circumstances  of  men  and  communities  as  may 
best  suit  the  schemes  of  speculators  and  money 
makers.  Its  pernicious  effects  maybe  seen  and 
illustrated  in  the  case  of  a  man,  for  instance, 
who  possesses  a  little  farm,  with'  a  comfortable 
dwelling,  &c.,  where  by  his  industry  and  econ¬ 
omy  he  is  enabled  to  procure  a  subsistence  for 


20 


himself  and  family.  He  probably  labors  under 
the  disadvantages  which  are  felt  in  every  com¬ 
munity  where  inequality  exists  ;  undoubtedly  is 
toiling  more  and  harder  than  is  consistent  with 
the  proper  cultivation  and  improvement  of  his 
intellectual  and  moral  nature,  and  is  ready  to 
avail  himself  of  any  apparent  opportunity  of 
bettering  his  condition.  The  time  has  come, 
we  will  suppose,  when  those  who  manage  money 
affairs  find  it  to  their  advantage  and  interest  to 
extend  its  circulation.  Money  therefore  be¬ 
comes  more  plenty,  and  the  nominal  value  of 
property  is  proport ionably  increased.  The  man 
is  told  that  his  little  farm  is  worth  much  more 
now  than  it  has  been  at  any  time  before.  And 
why  is  it  worth  so  much  more  ?  Is  it  because  of 
any  considerable  improvement  by  which  he  is  en¬ 
abled  to  procure  a  subsistence  from  it  so  much 
easier  than  formerly  ?  No.  It  is  not  because 
the  farm  is  really  any  more  valuable,  but  because 
money — this  pretended  standard  of  value — is 
more  plenty  and  less  valuable.  The  spirit  of 
speculation  still  increases,  and  the  man,  perhaps 
disposes  of  his  farm  for  four  times  the  amount 
he  had  ever  before  thought  of  obtaining  for  it. 
Pleased  with  the  prospect  of  living,  like  many 
others,  without  labor,  he  now  enters  into  trade 


21 


and  speculation,  and  thinks  that  he  is  really  get- 
ing  rich.  The  family  soon  begin  to  find  their 
wants  are  much  increased  ;  for  they  now  move  in 
altogether  a  different  circle  of  society  from  that  to 
which  they  have  formerly  been  admitted.  They 
must  have  a  larger  house,  richer  furniture,  and 
finer  dress.  They  soon  run  into  all  the  extrav* 
agances  and  excesses  which  prevail,  and  by 
which  they  are  all  rendered  worse  instead  of 
better.  A  change  of  times,  as  it  is  termed,  finds 
them  with  their  habits  of  industry  broken  up, 
their  manner  of  living  much  more  costly  and 
burdensome,  and  much  less  healthy  and  happy. 
*  They  are  no  longer  of  the  class  who  by  honest 
industry  are  helping  to  produce  the  necessaries 
of  life  ;  and  money,  the  artificial  means  by 
,  which  they  have  now  for  a  time  been  supplying, 
not  only  their  real  but  greatly  increased  ar^d  ra¬ 
pidly  increasing  artificial  wants,  becoming 
scarce,  this  standard  of  value  is  novz  so  much 
more  valuable,  that  property  of  every  kind  be¬ 
comes  nominally  much  less  so.  And  it  contin¬ 
ues  to  depreciate  until  those  who  thought  them¬ 
selves  rich,  find  themselves  in  reality  poorer  and 
in  many  ways  worse  off  than  they  ever  were  be¬ 
fore.  This  is  no  fancy  sketch.  It  is  but  a  faint 
picture  of  what  is  really  and  frequently  occurring. 


To  illustrate  the  matter  still  further,  we  might 
consider  the  case  of  another  individual  who  was 
situated  like  the  first,  but  who,  perhaps,  prefer¬ 
red  not  to  dispose  of  his  property,  though  fre¬ 
quently  offered  a  much  larger  sum  for  it  than 
he  had  before  dreamed  of  its  being  valued  at. 
By  means  of  the  increased,  and  increasing  price 
of  property,  he  soon  comes  to  be  regarded  as  a 
wealthy  man  ;  and  his  sons  and  his  daughters, 
and  perhaps  his  wife,  if  not  himself,  have  their 
heads  made  giddy  by  the  consideration  of  their 
increasing  importance.  They  begin  to  have 
anxious  desires  for  many  things  which  they  had 
not  thought  before  of  ever  having.  Their  credit 
has  become  good  for  almost  any  amount  ;  and 
the  power  of  fashion  and  the  spirit  of  the  times 
prove  too  mighty  for  the  man’s  prudence  and 
economy.  The  credit  system  is  like  every  other 
game,  when  once  entered  upon,  there  is  no 
telling  where  or  what  will  be  the  end.  At  least 
there  is  very  little  probability  of  stopping  while 
the  times  and  chances  seem  so  prosperous. 
Business  of  every  kind  is  flourishing  ;  the  pro¬ 
ducts  of  the  farm  sell  quick  for  money  ;  and 
money  will  pay  debts  and  command  labor.  So 
that  neither  the  man  nor  his  wife  or  sons  and 
daughters  find  it  necessary  for  them  to  do  any 


23 


thing  more  than  dress,  and  go  to  town,  and  learn 
the  news,  the  fashions,  the  various  means  of 
self-indulgence,  aggrandizement  and  gratifica¬ 
tion.  But  the  change  of  times  finds  them 
deeply  involved  in  worldly  folly,  and  embarras¬ 
sed  with  every  kind  of  worldly  embarrassment. 
Their  habits  perverted  by  indolence  ;  their 
minds  vitiated  by  pride  and  extravagance  ;  their 
bodies  enervated  by  want  of  proper,  exercise, 
and  indulgence  in  every  kind  of  luxury  and  ex¬ 
cess  ;  their  hearts  corrupted,  their  moral  prin¬ 
ciples  entirely  undermined.  And  as  property 
sinks  again  to  its  former  nominal  value,  they  are 
*  found  to  be  unable  to  pay  their  debts  ;  the 
merchant  or  lawyer  finally  takes  their  farm  and 
their  dwelling,  and  leaves  them  poor  indeed. 

*  How  can  that  be  a  representative  and  standard 
of  value  which  is  itself  so  fluctuating,  and  which 
causes  such  fluctuations  in  every  thing  else  ?  A 
little  farm,  which  will  afford  subsistence  for  a 
family  is  really  as  valuable  at  one  time  as  anoth¬ 
er,  except  inasmuch  as  its  value  may  be  in¬ 
creased  by  the  actual  improvement  made  upon 
it.  What  is  value,  or  wealth  1  What  consti¬ 
tutes  the  wealth  of  a  community  ?  Not  the 
gorgeous  palaces,  the  gay  trappings,  and  splen¬ 
did  equipage  of  the  would-be  great;  but  the 


t 


24 


ability  for  a  right  and  proper  improvement  and 
enjoyment  of  life.  The  moral  integrity,  tem¬ 
perance  and  virtue  of  all  who  compose  the  com¬ 
munity,  and  the  consequent  peace,  -confidence, 
and  security  of  the  life,  liberty  and  happiness  of 
all.  Poverty,  in  its  true  sense,  is  the  privation 
of  any  thing  which  is  essential  to  physical,  in¬ 
tellectual  or  moral  improvement.  Nothing  is 
truly  valuable  only  in  proportion  as  it  conduces 
to  the  true  comfort,  improvement,  and  happiness 
of  the  whole  human  family.  Silver  and  gold 
are  not  in  reality  so  valuable  as  iron  and  steel. 
Individuals,  families,  and  communities  can  dis¬ 
pense  with  the  former  without  any  real  abridge¬ 
ment  of  their  comfort  and  happiness,  or  any 
real  hindrance  to  their  physical,  intellectual, 
moral  or  spiritual  improvement.  And  none  are  ' 
in  reality  made  any  better  by  money,  or  the  ex¬ 
clusive  advantages  which  it  confers  ;  while  the 
desire  to  attain  it  leads  to  every  kind  of  evil, 
and  entirely  perverts  men’s  minds  and  hearts. — 
It  is  the  representative  of  selfishness ,  and  is  di¬ 
rectly  opposed  to  God,  whose  nature  is  Love. 
It  counteracts  all  the  benevolent  purposes  of 
God  ;  inasmuch  as  it  confers  favors  partially 
and  arbitrarily,  without  regard  to  moral  char¬ 
acter,  and  destroys  that  equality,  confidence  and 


*■ 


1 


25 


love  which  a  righteous  God  would  have  exist 
x  among  his  intelligent  creatures  upon  earth.  It 
is  an  unrighteous  monopoly  ;  and  is  the  grand 
instrument  and  agent  in  all  monopolies.  For 
it  could  not  be  equally  diffused  without  subvert¬ 
ing  the  very  purpose  for  which  it  was  instituted. 
And  it  enables  some  to  command  and  receive 
constant  service ,  who  render  no  service  at  cdl  to 
others. 

7.  Money  paralyzes  genius,  and  hinders  the 
prog  ress  of  the  useful  arts.  To  say  nothing  of 
the  scientific  and  literary  talent  which  through 
its  instrumentality,  is  perverted  and  prostituted 
,  to  base  purposes,  men  of  skill  and  ingenuity  in 
the  mechanic  arts  are  hindered  from  carrying 
forward  their  plans  and  labors  for  the  produc- 
%  tion  of  new  and  useful  articles  of  mechanism, 
because  they  have  to  toil  continually  at  some¬ 
thing  else  to  support  themselves  and  those  who 
live  upon  their  labor.  While  others  are  led  to 
exercise  their  ingenuity  and  devote  their  efforts 
to  the  production  of  some  new  means  of  grati¬ 
fication  and  indulgence  for  the  rich,  instead  of 
articles  of  real  utility  and  improvement  for  the 
mass  of  men  ;  because  the  former  will  enable 
them  to  procure  money.  Though  the  more  of 
these  means  of  luxurious  indulgence  they  in- 
3 


t 


i 


26 


vent,  and  the  more  splendid  and  costly  the 
articles  of  this  kind  which  they  produce, 
the  more  completely  are  the  working  class¬ 
es  enslaved.  Since  every  new  means  of  indul¬ 
gence  increases  the  artificial  wants  of  the 
community,  and  increases  the  labor  by 
which  these  articles  are  produced.  And  if 
the  inventors  and  venders  get  rich  by  the 
means,  the  toil  to  be  performed  by  those 
who  remain  to  perform  it,  is  still  more  in¬ 
creased. 

8.  The  'power  of  money  is  beyond  computa¬ 
tion.  It  is  absolute,  supreme,  and  almost  uni¬ 
versal.  It  is  indeed  the  god  of  this  world  ; 
and  is  more  mighty  than  any  other  power  but 
that  of  the  true  and  living  God,  whose  antago¬ 
nist  and  insidious  enemy  it  is.  It  reaches  the 
hearts,  commands  the  obedience,  and  sways  the 
destiny  of  nearly  all.  It  is  the  government  of 
every  nation  or  community  where  it  is  allowed 
in  any  form  to  exist.  It  is  the  real  and  arbitra¬ 
ry  government  of  this  land  of  boasted  liberty 
and  equality.  And  when  it  is  considered  to 
what  extravagance  the  American  government 
has  reached,  the  fearful  rate  at  w  hich  it  is  still 
progressing,  and  the  vast  amount  of  toil  and  ser¬ 
vitude  which  is  required  to  support  it,  how  hope- 


Jess  is  tlie  prospect  of  those  whose  hands  perform 
the  toil,  and  upon  whom  the  whole  weight  of  the 
burden  bears!  For  it  all  comes  directly  or  in¬ 
directly  upon  those  who  work  with  their  hands, 
either  in  the  form  of  taxes,  duties,  interest,  or 
profits.  Though  these,  for  the  most  part,  are 
levied  upon  the  property,  it  is  the  labor  of  men’s 
hands  that  produces  the  property,  and  upon 
those  whose  hands  perform  the  labor  that  the 
whole  burden  finally  falls.  ‘  Governments,’  it 

has  with  much  truth  been  said,  ‘  are  little  else 

/ 

than  a  conspiracy  of  the  richer  part  to  get  the  la¬ 
bor  of  the  poor  upon  their  own  terms.  As  by  the 
means  of  law — which  is  but  the  voice  of  money, 
or  concentrated  wealth — the  mass  of  the  people 
are  deprived  of  their  right  to  the  soil,  and  now 
have  their  choice  between  servitude  and  starva¬ 
tion.  The  many  being  thus  disabled  from 
working  for  themselves,  are  obliged  to  sell  their 
labor  to  such  of  those  in  power  as  are  willing  to 
give  them  employment .’ 

We  talk  of  the  despotism,  injustice  and  oppres¬ 
sion  which  exists  in  other  countries,  but  where  is- 
the  boasted  liberty  and  equality  of  our  own  ?  We 
talk  of  the  blindness  and  idolatry  of  heathen  na¬ 
tions,  while  our  own  land  is  wholly  given  to  the 
worship  of  mammon.  The  god  of  this  world  is 


28 


evidently  more  regarded  and  trusted  in  among 
us,  than  the  true  and  living  God.  An  idol  is 
here  worshipped,  upon  whose  altar  more  victims 
are  sacrificed  than  upon  the  altars  of  all  other 
idols  together.  An  idol  which,  like  all  other 
idols,  depends  for  the  homage  which  it  receives, 
upon  the  blindness  and  ignorance  of  mankind, 
and  would  soon  be  dethroned  and  brought  to 
naught,  were  men  willing  to  regard  and  obey  the 
truth,  instead  of  giving  heed  to  vanity  and  lies. 

9.  Money  is  an  effectual  hindrance  to  the  ad¬ 
vancement  of  truth  and  righteousnes.  It  can¬ 
not  be  otherwise,  since  in  order  to  accumulate 
money,  it  becomes  necessary  to  disregard  the 
principles  of  truth  and  righteousness.  It  tends 
to  obliterate  from  men’s  minds  the  proper  dis¬ 
tinction  between  right  and  wrong;  sets  up  an  , 
entirely  false  standard  of  action  ;  [Hits  error  for 
truth  and  darkness  for  light.  Instead  of  hold¬ 
ing  out  encouragement  to  speak  the  truth  faith¬ 
fully  and  follow  it  fearlessly,  it  makes  it  neces¬ 
sary  for  men,  in  order  to  secure  the  favor  of  the 
world  and  prosper  in  what  is  regarded  as  world¬ 
ly  prosperity,  to  act  contrary  to  their  own  con¬ 
victions  of  what  is  true  and  right ;  insomuch  that 
the  majority  of  men  are  led  to  the  irrational  and 
preposterous  conclusion  that  it  is  less  expedient  for 


29 


them  to  follow  the  truth  and  practice  what  they 
admit  to  be  right  ‘  in  the  abstract,'1  than  to  follow  a 
lie,  and  do  that  which  they  admit  to  be  abstractly 
and  morally  wrong  !  When  men  have  once  adopt¬ 
ed  such  a  course  of  action  as  this — even  those 
of  them  who  profess  to  be  the  holy  teachers  of 
truth  and  rightousness — it  may  well  be  expected, 
while  money  is  in  the  way,  that  they  will  con¬ 
nive  at  injustice,  and  justify  every  kind  and  de¬ 
gree  of  oppression. 

10.  Money  is  said  to  be  the  means  of  doing 
good — of  carrying  forward  the  great  moral  en- 
terprize  of  the  day — relieving  the  poor — en¬ 
lightening  the  ignorant  and  reclaiming  the 
vicious.  But  it  is  through  the  instrumentality 
of  this  very  institution  that  these  evils  are  per¬ 
petuated  and  increased.  It  is  causing,  increas¬ 
ing  and  extending  the  very  maladies  which  it 
pretends  to  cure.  As  it  cannot  be  acquired  or 
retained  without  a  disregard  of  the  general  good, 
and  acting  upon  the  principles  of  selfishness  in¬ 
stead  of  benevolence,  the  ultimate  tendency  of 
every  community  where  it  exists,  so  far  as  the 
real  improvement,  physical  comfort  or  moral 
character  of  the  majority  is  concerned,  must 
necessarily  be  downward.  How  short  sighted 
and  willingly  blind  are  those  who  can  persuade 
3  * 


» 


themselves  that  contributing  a  little  money  to 
what  are  termed  benevolent  purposes,  is  dis¬ 
charging  their  duty  to  the  poor  and  oppressed, 
or  the  openly  vicious  and  grossly  depraved. 
This  is  far  indeed  from  loving  their  neighbor  ns 
themselves,  or  doing  by  others  as  they  would 
have  others  do  by  them.  It  is  not  enough  that 
a  scanty  pittance  is  imparted  for  the  mere  tem¬ 
poral  relief  of  these  unfortunate  fellow  creatures. 
They  should  be  taken  by  the  hand  and  treated 
as  brethren  ;  fallen  and  degraded  though  they 
are  ;  they  need  still  more  our  sympathy  and  en¬ 
couragement.  And  there  is  no  other  way  by 
which  we  can  do  any  thing  towards  really  re¬ 
lieving  or  effectually  reclaiming  them.  We 
should  remember  that  the  same  circumstances 
and  influences  which  have  made  them  what  they 

J 

are,  would  probably  have  moulded  our  charac¬ 
ters  into  the  same  shape  and  made  the  same 
degraded  beings  of  us,  if  we  had  not  been  in 
some  respects  more  favored.  And  hence,  our 
obligation  to  be  doing  what  we  can  for  the  re¬ 
moval  of  the  causes  of  moral  evil ;  instead  of  be¬ 
ing  ready  to  condemn  and  despise  those  who  are 
thus  fallen  and  degraded,  while  we  are  lending 
our  influence  to  sustain  and  perpetuate  the 
very  causes  of  their  degradation. 


31 


11.  Money  renders  men  indifferent  to  the  de¬ 
graded  condition  arid  circumstances  of  others, 
and  fosters  pride  and  exclusiveness,  as  well  as 
excess  and  extravagance.  It  naturally  leads 
those  who  possess  it  to  forget  their  mutual  obliga¬ 
tion  and  the  dependence  of  all  upon  God  and 
each  other  ;  induces  them  to  regard  others  as 
peculiarly  dependant  upon  them,  and  to  be  care- 
'  less  and  indifferent  even  about  the  good  will  and 
friendship  of  their  fellow  men,  since  they  have 
their  best  friend  in  their  pockets.  And  it  encour¬ 
ages  extravagance  and  profligacy  and  disregard 
of  moral  obligation,  by  the  facility  with  which  it 
enables  its  possessors  to  procure  what  is  pro¬ 
duced  by  the  hard  labor  of  others.  All  men  are 
under  moral  obligation  to  be  strictly  prudent  and 
economical  in  each  of  the  various  departments 
of  life.  But  money  leads  them  to  be  lavish  and 
excessive  in  the  use  of  whatever  can  be  loaded 
upon  their  tables,  crowded  into  their  wardrobes, 
or  in  any  way  made  to  gratify  the  pride  of  the 
eye,  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  and  the  pride  of  life  ? 
And  many  attempt  to  justify  and  defend  this  ex¬ 
cess  and  extravagance  upon  the  ground  that  it 
furnishes  employment  for  those  who  live  by  la¬ 
bor  !  As  though  those  who  are  thus  kept  in 
bondage,  servitude  and  ignorance  to  gratify  the 


selfishness,  and  artificial  wants  of  others,  ought 
not  to  be  emancipated  and  educated  ;  did  not  need 
their  time  for  moral  and  intellectual  improve¬ 
ment;  and  are  not  morally  wronged  by  any 
course  of  conduct  on  the  part  of  others,  by  which 
they  are  continued  in  ignorance  and  degradation. 

12.  But  it  is  said  that  there  would  be  no  in¬ 
centive  to  duty,  were  it  not  for  money  ;  that 
there  would  be  no  enterprize  or  improvement  of 
any  kind ;  that  some  will  be  indolent  and  mis¬ 
erable,  and  must  be  made  to  work  from  neces¬ 
sity.  The  truth  is,  that  those  who  are  of  this 
character  are  made  so  by  the  influence  of  those 
who  through  the  instrumentality  of  money,  are 
living  in  affluence  and  excess,  and  thereby 
throwing  such  a  burden  of  toil,  upon  those  who 
perform  the  labor,  that  they  are  unfitted  for  any 
thing  better;  and  if  they  can  escape  from  such 
an  unreasonable  task  of  bodilv  servitude,  in  their 
ignorance  and  moral  blindness,  they  are  left  to 
become  victims  of  the  grossest  vices  and  grovel 
in  the  very  mire  of  sloth  and  sensuality.  Multi¬ 
tudes  are  thus  degraded  and  rendered  miserable 
by  the  very  perverted  state  of  society  in  which 
they  live.  The  necessity  which  there  is  for  men 
to  be  engaged  in  some  active  employment  is  not 
such  an  artificial  necessity  as  is  laid  upon  them 


by  means  of  any  such  selfish  and  partial  in¬ 
stitution  as  that  of  money.  It  is  a  principle  in 
the  very  nature  and  constitution  of  man,  that  ‘  he 
who  will  not  work ,  neither  should  he  eat And 
it  applies  as  well  to  those  who  have  money,  as  to 
those  who  have  none.  No  man  can  long  enjoy  life 
without  using  his  hands  and  exercising  his  body. 
And  he  who  attempts  it,  not  only  violates  a  phys¬ 
iological  law  of  his  nature,  and  thus  ultimately 
renders  himself  miserable,  but  he  violates  his 
moral  obligation  to  God  and  his  fellow  men. 
And  there  is  nothing  which  so  invariably  and 
effectually  leads  to  this  as  the  institution  of 
money.  It  is  its  natural,  legitimate,  and  enevitar 
ble  effect  in  every  community  where  it  is  used. 

There  are  various  other  ways  in  which  money 
effectually  operates  to  destroy  equality,  subvert 
justice,  and  give  one  class  of  men  an  unrighteous 
and  wicked  advantage  over  others,  inevitably 
making  them  complete  slaves  to  their  fellow 
men.  But  the  great  question  is,  how  can  it  be 
dispensed  with  ?  And  the  answer  to  this  ques¬ 
tion  is  so  plain  and  simple  that  a  child  might 
furnish  it.  Men  have  only  to  act  upon  the  prin¬ 
ciples  of  benevolence,  or  brotherly  love,  and  help 
one  another.  This  is  the  course  which  is  par¬ 
tially  adopted  and  to  some  little  extent  pursued 


34 


by  the  Quakers,  or  Friends.  And  therefore 
there  are  none  really  poor  to  be  found  among 
them  ;  though  by  continuing  the  use  of  money, 
they  are  becoming  as  selfish  and  corrupt  as 
others.  All  that  is  wanting  is  confidence.  And 
there  is  no  way  of  rendering  men  worthy  of  con¬ 
fidence  but  by  reposing  confidence  in  them* 
The  present  practice  of  giving  and  receiving 
pledges ,  as  all  men  do  when  they  pass  or  re¬ 
ceive  money ,  tends  directly  and  continually  to 
destroy  confidence,  or  exclude  it  from  among 
men.  For  it  is  virtually  declaring  that  they 
cannot  safely  place  confidence  in  each  other. 
The  selfishness  of  mankind  and  the  consequent 
jealousy  and  distrust  which  originated  and  has 
so  long  perpetuated  the  use  of  money,  is  totally 
blinding  them  to  the  truth,  and  to  their  own 
true  interest.  Self-love — a  proper  regard  for 
ourselves — is  altogether  different  from  selfish¬ 
ness  ;  which  is  a  perversion  of  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  men.  Self-love  is  not  inconsistent 
with  an  equal  regard  for  the  good  of  others. 
But  selfishness  leads  those  who  indulge  it  into 
the  mistaken  idea  that  they  can  secure  their 
own  interest  and  happiness  by  pursuing  an  ex¬ 
clusive  course,  without  an  equal  regard  for  the 
interest  and  happiness  of  others.  A  course 


35 


which  is  destructive  of  happiness;  and  which 
*  will  inevitably  lead  to  the  destruction  of  all 
the  bonds  of  society,  except  prisons  and  stand¬ 
ing  armies.’  Any  system  of  exchanges  which 
men  might  be  disposed  to  adopt,  even  upon 
worldly  principles,  would  be  better — more  just 
and  equal — than  the  money  system.  As  it  would 
then  be  more  readily  seen  and  regarded  of  im¬ 
portance  that  each  and  every  one  should  be  so 
engaged  as  to  produce  something  to  exchange  ; 
or  be  rendering  himself  in  some  way  really  use¬ 
ful  to  the  community.  At  any  rate  there  could 
not  then  be  that  unrighteous  monopoly  and 
speculation  which  now  so  extensively  prevails. 
And  what  though  some  considerable  part  of  the 
business  and  traffic  which  is  carried  on  in  the 
#world,  should  come  to  an  end  1  There  certainly 
would  be  more  real  improvement  made,  and 
much  more  true  happiness  enjoyed.  We  have 
seen  that  this  business  mania,  this  spirit  of  traffic 
and  money  making,  so  perverts  men’s  hearts  and 
turns  their  heads,  that  those  very  times  come  to 
be  regarded  as  the  best  and  most  prosperous, 
which  are  in  reality  the  worst  and  most  disas¬ 
trous.  For  when  almost  the  entire  population  of 
a  country  is  carried  away  with  the  idea  of  making 
money  and  getting  rich,  nearly  every  thing  else  is 


36 


neglected  but  mere  eating  and  drinking  and  toil¬ 
ing  and  trafficing.  Health  and  life,  virtue  and 
moral  integrity,  are  sacrificed  upon  the  altar  of 
mammon.  Physical,  or  moral  and  religious  im¬ 
provement,  every  thing  but  what  will  immedi¬ 
ately  subserve  the  great  purpose  of  money 
making,  must  give  way  and  be  neglected.  While 
the  seeds  of  moral  evil  are  scattered  widely,  the 
weeds  of  vice  growing  rankly,  the  strength 
of  moral  principle  waning  rapidly,  and  crime 
and  iniquity  increasing  in  proportion. 

Finally,  what  though  men  of  the  world  will  - 

not  be  persuaded  to  renounce  their  course,  and 

abandon  an  institution  which  produces  such 

pernicious  results  1  Christians  are  not  of  the- 

world.  And  it  is  for  those  ivlio-  profess  to  he 

Christians ,  to  practice  what  tliey  profess  ;  and , 

♦ 

thus  he  in  deed  and  truth  a  1  peculiar  people ’ — 

*  THE  LIGHT  OF  THE  WORLD.’  It  is  fol*  them  to 
go  forward  in  every  good  work,  and  not  sanc¬ 
tion  and  still  be  partakers  of  the  selfish  spirit  of 
the  world,  and  lend  their  influence  to  uphold  an 
institution  which  is  so  effectually  blinding  the 
moral  vision  of  men,  excluding  God  from  their 
hearts,  exalting  gold  above  moral  goodness,  and 
giving  it  a  power  over  their  minds  above  the 
power  of  Truth  and  Love.  They  cannot,  con- 


37 


sistently  with  their  profession,  aid  in  sustaining 
an  institution  which  leads  to  such  evil  conse¬ 
quences,  is  in  its  nature  so  unrighteous,  and  in 
its  influences  upon  the  physical  and  moral  con¬ 
dition  of  mankind,  fraught  with  so  much  wick¬ 
edness.  No ;  they  cannot  thus  serve  God  and 
mammon. 

It  is  only  by  the  hearty  adoption  and  faithful 
practice  of  Christian  principles,  that  the  human 
family  can  ever  be  delivered  from  the  wretched 
condition  to  which  the  folly  of  selfishness  has 
reduced  them.  God  is  the  only  Saviour  :  and 
God  is  Love.  It  is  only  by  the  spirit  of  Love 
-  that  mankind  can  be  regenerated  and  redeemed. 
No  individual  can  find  true  happiness  for  him¬ 
self,  by  seeking  it  for  its  own  sake,  or  for  him- 
-  self  alone.  It  can  be  found  only  in  the  con¬ 
sciousness  of  making  others  happy.  No  one 
can  secure  his  own  happiness  but  by  acting 
upon  those  righteous  principles,  and  pursuing 
that  benevolent  course,  which  will  effectually 
promote  and  secure  the  happiness  of  others. 
Therefore  the  Christian  Law  requires,  that  each 
*  shall  love  his  neighbor  as  himself which  pre¬ 
cludes  and  utterly  prohibits  the  use  of  a  curren¬ 
cy  based  upon  the  exclusive  and  enslaving  prin¬ 
ciple  of  selfishness. 

4. 


38 


Faith  and  Love — which  constitute  the  only 
true  Christian  coin— need  but  to  become  cur¬ 
rent  among  men,  and  they  will  be  thereby  res¬ 
tored  from  their  present  bondage,  alienation, 
distrust,  anxiety,  and  fear :  to  the  enjoyment  of 
that  true  liberty,  confidence  and  sympathy, 
unity  and  peace,  which  is  so  much  needed  and 
desired.  But  the  base  coin  which  now  circu¬ 
lates  in  the  world — which  is  the  representative 
of  selfishness,  and  is  continually  increasing,  and 
extending  selfishness,  with  all  its  attendant 
evils;  excluding  benevolence,  destroying  sym¬ 
pathy  and  confidence,  and  subverting  ( every 
thing  that  is  good — must  be  put  away,  and  aban¬ 
doned,  by  those  who  would  enter  into  the  king¬ 
dom  of  God  themselves,  or  be  instrumental  in 
establishing  that  holy  kingdom  in  the  hearts4 
of  others. 

Men  may  use  the  world’s  currency,  buy  and 
sell,  and  exercise  a  selfish,  hireling  spirit,  and 
be  tolerable  kind  of  heathen,  or  modern  Jetvs — 
which  is  to  be  anti-Christian — but  they  cannot 
be  Christians,  or  followers  of  Jesus  Christ, 
without  renouncing  every  thing  of  a  Jewish, 
mercenary,  or  hireling  character :  and  thus  be¬ 
ing  not  of  the  world ,  even  as  Jesus  was  not  of  the 


i 


39 


world.  They  cannot  have  any  connection  with 
,  the  present  system  of  worldly  business,  or  use  in 
any  way  the  current  coin  with  which  the  business 
of  the  world  is  done ,  without  being  implicated  in 
the  guilt  of  injustice,  oppression,  duplicity,  and 
lies. — Inevitably  blinded  to  their  own  moral  con¬ 
dition  ;  rendered  insensible  to  their  mutual  obli¬ 
gation  ;  and  in  a  great  measure  indifferent  to  the 
injustice,  inequality,  oppression,  and  iniquity 
with  which  they  are  surrounded,  and  in  which 
they  are  involved. 

It  is  in  vain  to  anticipate  the  near  approach 
of  that  happy  period,  designated  by  the  term 
^millenium — when  righteousness  and  peace  and 
love  shall  universally  prevail  upon  earth — until 
’  selfishness  is  banished  from  among  those  who 
profess  to  be  Christians,  and  they  become 
Christians  indeed.  For  if  all  in  the  world  were 
converted  to  be  just  such  Christians  as  most  of 
those  who  now  profess  to  be  so,  the  millenium 
would  be  no  nearer  than  it  now  is.  If  they 
would  be  Christians  in  reality,  and  have  it  man¬ 
ifest  that  they  are  not  of  the  world,  they  must 
distinguish  themselves  by  a  renunciation  of  all 
the  selfish  and  unrighteous  institutions  through 
which  so  much  iniquity,  oppression,  and  injus- 


40 

tice  is  now  practiced  ;  and  by  means  of 
which  they  are  exalting,  aggrandizing,  and 
serving  themselves,  instead  of  God  and  their  fel¬ 
low  men.  They  must  thus  make  it  manifest 
that  they  are  desirous,  or  even  willing ,  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  should  come  :  and  justice,  be¬ 
nevolence,  liberty,  and  equality  prevail  upon 
earth. 

It  is  a  question  with  some,  whether  a  state  of 
social  equality  is  desirable,  or  would  be 
profitable  for  mankind.  But  it  is  only  a  ques¬ 
tion  with  those  who  are  so  blinded  by  selfishness, 
and  so  lost  to  a  sense  of  truth  and  righteousness, 
as  to  suppose  that  one  part  of  the  human  family 
was  designed  to  be  the  menials  of  the  other, 
and  to  work  continually  with  their  hands,  while 
the  others  work  only  with  their  heads.  If  a 
state  of  liberty  and  equality  is  desirable  and 
profitable  for  any,  it  is  desirable  and  profitable 
for  all.  For  the  human  family  is  but  one  fami¬ 
ly,  or  one  body  ;  and  if  any  member  suffers  the 
whole  body  suffers  with  it.  The  slavery,  ignor¬ 
ance,  and  degradation  of  any  part  of  mankind, 
in  whatever  form  it  may  exist,  or  by  whatever 
means  it  is  perpetuated,  can  be  no  real  advan¬ 
tage  to  themselves  or  any  portion  of  their 


41 


fellow  men.  If  there  is  to  be  any  difference 
among  mankind,  it  evidently  should  not  be  an 
arbitrary  difference  in  their  social  and  temporal 
condition,  and  opportunity  for  moral  and  intel¬ 
lectual  improvement ;  but  that  only  which  may 
arise  from  the  different  degrees  of  improvement 
made.  In  this  there  may  be  room  for  diversity, 
and  infinite  progression.  If  God  has  given 
some  men  talents  superior  to  others,  it  is  not  for 
the  exclusive  advantage  of  these,  but  for  the 
good  of  the  whole.  No  one  is  to  live  to  himself 
alone.  And  the  improvement  and  happiness  of 
each  will  ever  be  increased  by  voluntarily 
making  his  own  talents  and  improvement  sub¬ 
servient  to  the  good  of  all. 

The  desire  of  enjoyment  is  the  great  stimulus 
to  social  intercourse.  And  men  must  and  will 
learn  that  there  can  be  no  real  and  lasting  en-  * 
joyment,  but  in  the  moral  and  intellectual  im¬ 
provement  of  themselves  and  all  around  them. 
When  this  comes  to  be  pursued  as  the  grand 
object,  to  which  every  thing  else  is  made  subser¬ 
vient,  then  every  thing  else  will  be  properly  en¬ 
joyed,  and  the  enjoyment  of  each  and  all  be  in¬ 
creased  by  being  extended.  As  the  world  now 
goes,  there  is  very  little  improvement  of  any 
4  * 


42 


kind  made,  or  true  happiness  enjoyed.  For  so 
far  from  acting — as  men  should  act  in  all 
things — with  regard  to  moral  considerations  : 
through  the  blinding  influence  of  selfishness, 
they  are  almost  entirely  losing  sight  of  moral 
principle,  and  seem  to  have  forgotten  that  they 
were  designed  to  be  moral  beings.  How  vain 
to  expect  any  real  improvement,  how  utterly 
hopeless  the  prospect  of  enjoying  happiness, 
under  such  circumstances  !  On  the  other  hand, 
how  illimitable  the  extent  of  improvement  which 
may  be  made,  how  unbounded  the  happiness 
which  may  be  enjoyed,  when  men  shall  cease 
from  the  folly  of  striving  to  enrich  themselves 
exclusively,  or  build  up  their  own  self  interest 
without  an  equal  regard  to  the  good  of  others. 
In  short,  when  they  shall  have  so  far  come  to  a 
knowledge  of  the  truth,  as  to  know  and  realize 
that  the  true  interest  and  happiness  of  each  in¬ 
dividual  is  identified  with  the  interest  and  hap¬ 
piness  of  the  whole  human  family,  and  the  in¬ 
terest  and  happiness  of  the  whole  human  family 
identified  with  the  interest  and  happiness  of 
each  and  every  individual.  When  they  shall 
dwell  together  as  brethren,  and  each  one  regard 
his  neighbor  as  himself.  The  mass  of  mankind 


i 


43 


have  scarcely  yet  began  the  work  of  improve¬ 
ment — physical,  intellectual,  moral  and  spiritual. 
Few  are  in  any  degree  aware  of  the  vast  field 
which  is  open  before  them  for  the  exercise  of 
their  undeveloped  powers.  Some  few  in  all 
ages  have  made  comparatively  great  attainments. 
— And  they  have  been  constrained  to  acknowl¬ 
edge  that  they  had  ‘  only  gathered  a  few  of  the 
pebbles  upon  the  shore  of  the  great  ocean  of 
truth.’  But  the  larger  portion  of  mankind,  the 
great  majority,  have  no  conception  of  their  own 
capacities.  The  human  soul  is  bound,  cramped 
and  crippled,  paralyzed  and  almost  destroyed  by 
the  influences  of  selfishness,  and  the  perverted 
order  of  things  which  selfishness  has  produced. 
Instead  of  there  being  nothing  further  for  men  to 
do,  or  employ  themselves  about — as  some  are  ap¬ 
prehensive  will  be  the  case,  when  such  a  state 
of  society  shall  exist  as  will  be  produced  by  the 
exercise  of  universal  benevolence — mankind 
will  then  but  just  be  ready  to  make  a  fair  begin¬ 
ning  in  the  great  work  of  improvement. 

The  question  resolves  itself  into  this  :  Can 
Christian  principles  really  be  carried  into  prac¬ 
tice  ?  Or  is  it  desirable,  and  would  it  be  profit¬ 
able  for  all  mankind,  to  have  Christian  princi- 


44 


pies  established,  and  fully  and  universally  pre¬ 
vail  1  All  history  witnesses  that  nothing  like  a 
free  and  happy  community  can  exist  and  act 
upo’n  selfish  principles.  Unless  social  equality 
and  the  mutual  improvement  and  happiness  of 
all  he  faithfully  sought,  anarchy  and  despotism 
is  the  inevitable  result.  It  ever  has  been  and  it 
ever  will  be  the  result,  in  every  community 
which  is  not  based  and  built  and  perpetuated 
upon  the  holy  principles  of  strict  justice,  social 
equality,  and  universal  benevolence.  And  such 
a  state  of  society  can  never  he  established  and 
enjoyed  where  so  partial,  unrighteous  and  per¬ 
verting  an  institution  as  that  of  money,  in  any 
form,  is  patronized  and  sustained,  or  any  other 
currency  or  circulating  medium  required,  but 
that  of  confidence  and  love. 

And  now  that  the  world  has  suffered  so  long, 
and  is  still  suffering  so  much  from  the  blinding 
and  destructive  influences  of  selfishness,  those 
who  profess  to  be  Christians — the  light  of  the 
world — are  bound  by  every  consideration  which 
can  be  binding  upon  moral  beings,  to  carry  out 
and  practice  the  benevolent  principles  of  the  re¬ 
ligion  they  profess  ;  and  thus  show  to  the  world 
its  beauty, excellence  and  power;  its  adaptation 


/  i 


45 


•  to  the  wants  and  interest  of  all,  in  the  promo- 
v  tion  of  righteousness  and  peace  ;  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  confidence  and  love  ;  and  in  acceler¬ 
ating  and  securing  the  everlasting  improvement 
and  happiness  of  the  whole  human  family. 

Multitudes  are  ready  to  acknowledge  the 
correctness  of  Christian  principles,  if  they  can 
but  be  carried  into  practice,  and  generally 
adopted.  If  so  desirable  a  consummation  is 
ever  to  be  realized — as  no  sincere  believer  in 
Christianity  can  rationally  doubt — somebody 
must  begin,  and  some  sacrifice  must  be  made. 
And  who  shall  make  this  beginning  and  this 
4k  sacrifice,  but  those  who  profess  themselves  to  be 
Christians  ?  Is  not  the  spirit  of  Christ  a  spirit 
1  ’  of  self-sacrifice,  and  self-denial?  Of  faith  in 
J  God  to  sustain  those  who  do  His  will,  and  of 
self-denial  in  freely  forsaking  all  for  the  estab¬ 
lishment  of  His  kingdom  upon  earth  ?  And 
what  are  any  of  us  doing  to  exercise  and  mani¬ 
fest  to  the  world  that  we  have  this  spirit  and  this 
faith  ?  Mere  forms  and  prof  essions  are  vain,  and 
worse  than  useless.  *  If  any  man  have  not  the 
spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his.’ 


» 


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